The Ware for March 2008 is shown below. Click on the photo for a much larger version.
Sorry about the tardiness of this months’ competition — spent the last 3 weeks hopping around Asia on chumby business, and still trying to catch up! Thanks for your patience.
DSL transciever + wifi point?
I like the idea of going with a DSL transceiver and wifi point… BUT I think its wrong. First, while the sumida T52102 chips ARE ADSL transformers (application is noted as modem, whereas similar models are noted as ADSL CPE, I’m sure this should suggest something, but I’m at a loss), and this does indeed suggest that we’re dealing with ADSL. The wifi point is troublesome as I only see a power port, phone jack, ethernet jack, and reset button hanging off the back. There is no place for an antenna, and most wifi doesn’t do well without.
I would guess something along the lines of an ethernet/ISDN to cordless phone base station.
Specifically because of the SC14428 chip. The datasheet on it says its a “Baseband Processor for FP & PP DECT and WDCT” Here’s the confusing thing though, at first I thought the port on the back was meant to hook a phone up to, and you would use the ethernet port for signal. Why the ADSL transformers then? It looks like you can either connect it directly to an ISDN line, or to a lan, as the 14428 supports direct connection to an ISDN line. I think this may also explain the transformer’s note about being used for a modem (ISDN) as opposed to ADSL.
Breaking down the bits:
4 pin RJ12 connector. Rarely used except with telephone lines.
Inductors, optocouplers and an isolation barrier: Indicates telephone or leased line.
So this section is almost certainly connected to either a telephone line or leased line.
SC14428: Baseband processor. Capable of processing high speed data modulation. It contains microcode, so it can be programmed to support different modulation methods. Close to the telephone line bits – so this is likely to be a high speed data over a wire interface. Likely an xDSL variant – hard to tell which, as that depends on the firmware.
The centre connector is power – the switch mode power supply is clearly visible.
The right side connector is ethernet. The surge protection (blue dipped component) is there, as are the required magnetics. The BCM5241 is a 10/100Mb ethernet PHY.
I couldn’t find a direct reference to the Conexant CX82101, but CX8210 brings up something: an ADSL oriented part introduced in 2002, featuring an ARM processor, ethernet, USB and ADSL with analogue front end.
At the bottom right, some capped over RF near two antennas. The arrangement looks like a two antenna diversity setup, common of 802.11bg.
One additional detail I noticed – the gold ground plane trace drops to the bottom layer near the mounting holes. So the board was designed for metal screws from the top into a plastic pillar underneath.
Interesting thing – there appears to be only a single status LED. This is probably a unit sold on being easy to set up, rather than for a geek audience. What looks like two additional LED drivers are present on the bottom left, but nothing is connected to the pins.
Summary:
An ADSL modem router with 10/100Mb ethernet and 802.11g.
This one’s pretty easy, I think. I’m not going to say much until someone gets what I think it is. (Everyone so far has been very close.)
In the left side there is a PSTN phone connection, with the Sumida transformers for the voice connection. Below there is a DECT baseband processor from National Semiconductor (SC14428) and in the bottom right side you could see the DECT radio modules. The antenna is printed on board. There is no external antenna.
There is also a router chipset from Conexant based on ARM (CX82101) with its SRAM and Flash chips, and an Ethernet PHY from Broadcom that gives an Ethernet 10/100 connection.
Between the RJ11 PSTN line connector and the RJ45, there is a power input connector. In the opposite side of the board, only one led gives feedback.
This seems to be a VOIP to DECT base station, with the PSTN connection for emergency fallback or analog use. Maybe a Skype to DECT Gateway.
Looking at the photos of the GE Skype Dect Phone 28310EE1 base station you could see the three connectors in its place (RJ11, power and RJ45), the small pushbutton on the right, and the status LED in the opposite, no external antenna, like in the Name that ware board:
http://amperordirect.wordpress.com/2007/07/25/ge-skype-dect-phone-28310ee1-product-review-part-i/
My guess is a GE Skype Dect Phone 28310EE1 base station.
Ah- on closer inspection, the SC14428 does telephone line audio, caller ID etc.
So this is a combined router, WiFi, ADSL modem and VOIP to landline gateway. Probably with Asterisk thrown in for good measure. Neat.
I think those cut outs in the PCA are for an RFID tag of some sort. I’m guessing this is a LAN+DSL authentication device of some sort. Perhaps a DSL modem for hotel room use.
mangel is right, this looks suspiciously like some Dualphone 3088.
The SC14428 is a Sitel chip, btw.
Yes Sii, as it’s said in the article I linked, the Dualphone seems to use the same board than the GE 28310EE1. Impossible to know which one is the correct.
And yes, it seems that National Semiconductor sold the Sitel subsidiary two years ago.
Even before I read the comments so far, I thought that this was a DSL gateway with a wireless phone that connects to the IP network: it has a phone jack, an ethernet jack, and there is a controller for the DECT cordless phone standard.
There are “ADSL Transformers” on the input from the phone line and a transformer and an Ethernet PHY from Broadcom to confirm that the RJ45 is an ethernet port. There is too much here for the other likely ether + phone combo, a straight VoIP ATA. The CX82101 is mentioned as a “Skype” part on a Conexant web page, so it’s likely a Skype phone. Conexant also talks about this processor being paired with the CX9041x series of “Voice Coprocessors”, so I’m guessing that blurry 64QFN in the upper right is one of those.
I compared the length of the traces on those two ‘F’ PCB antennas in the lower right to the size of the SST flash chip; the antennas look to be around 32mm long, so they are likely 1/4 wavelength antennas for 2.4GHz communications, and 2.4 is a frequency that DECT can use.
I was surprised to not see obvious charging electronics and contacts or connectors for the handset side of the cordless phone. If this is indeed the GE skype phone that another commenter mentioned, then that would explain things; the phone charger is in a separate caddy.
Questions:
What is in the second can? I presume one can holds the RF transciever for the cordless phone. Is the other can a second part of that transciever, or is it an 802.11 module? There are two antennas, and the SC14428 documentation says something about “fast diversity”, so I assume both antennas are for that, but an 802.11 base station wouldn’t be a crazy thing to add to this product.
What are those slightly-discolored solder blobs in the upper left? Did Bunnie desolder a connector to get this out of its case?
I am always curious when I see handwritten numbers in otherwise-mechanically-produced electronics, as in the lower middle. Is that a test number? A serial number? I always have trouble wrapping my mind around labor so inexpensive that it makes sense to hire someone to write instead of using a $1K industrial label printer.
What is that white 4-pin Fairchild part on the left side? Are all those solder blobs there some sort of trimming mechanism?
What is in the upper left corner? Is that more phone line interface stuff?
Looking at this we have three user connections at the top.
RJ11, barrel type power plug, RJ45 and a button
There are transformers for phone so initial thought would be a DSL bridge/modem.
Now looking around the board.
nothing of interest untill youget to the lower right corner. two copper wires! Looking at them they are seperate from the ground plane! They appear to pick up signal from the bottom of the board. There are two caps near the radiation shielded circuits. I would figgure that they are connected to the antenna’s. Yes I figgure that those connectors are 802.11b/g antenna’s
Now we are looking at a DSL modem with wireless connectivity.
Oh and there is what appears to be an LED on the ‘front’ of the unit in the middle.
Figure that the button is a reset button.
There sure is a nice big fuse near that RJ11 conn.
Looking up those inductors, Sumida t52102 you get http://www.sumida.com/products/pdf/EP1311.pdf and those inductors have an application of MODEM not ADSL!!!
Hmm thinking now wireless VOIP.
Ports almost match, Philips VOIP8411B a Skype phone
Gotit!
http://amperordirect.wordpress.com/2007/07/25/ge-skype-dect-phone-28310ee1-product-review-part-i/
A GE 28310EE1!
The ports line up and the LED lines up!
WOOT!
Of course. a say late and a dollar shore. Appears that mangel got it. oh well.
Hey, Good post. I love anything to do with phones and technology etc, so posts like this prove interesting to me. Your site has been bookmarked. Thanks.